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College tuition credit or itemized deduction

You are entitled to this credit or deduction if you:

were a full-year New York State resident,

your spouse or dependent (for whom you have taken an exemption) were an undergraduate student who was enrolled at or attended an institution of higher education and paid qualified tuition expenses, and

are not claimed as a dependent on another person's tax return.

Qualified tuition expenses

Qualified tuition expenses include only tuition paid for the undergraduate enrollment or attendance of the student at an institution of higher education. This includes expenses paid from a qualified state tuition program (like New York's 529 College Savings Program).

Qualified tuition expenses do not include:

tuition paid through scholarships or other financial aid that need not be repaid

amounts paid for room and board, and other similar personal or living expenses

amounts paid for books, equipment, and activities, even if required by the school

Amount of the credit or deduction

The credit can be as much as $400 per student. If it is more than the amount of New York State tax that you owe, you can claim a refund.

The maximum deduction is $10,000 for each eligible student. The college tuition itemized deduction may offer you a greater tax savings if you itemized deductions on your federal return.

Use the worksheets in the instructions to compute your deduction and see if the credit or deduction is better for you. (See IT-272-I instructions)